Kitchen utensil



April .12 1938. .c. 0. LE BARON KITCHEN UTENSIL Filed March 9, 1937 In venior {i a 4? Fara M Attorneys Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES rinses PATENT OFFECE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in kitchen utensils, and more particularly tools for lifting hot pans and the like.

The object of my invention primarily is to provide a simply constructed, eflicient tool for securely gripping a pan or the like toserve as a handle for lifting the same and which is adapted to clampingly engage the side of the pan with a snap action and is readily operative by pressure exerted by the thumb to release said pan at will.

Other objects, such as strength, durability, and low cost of manufacture are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the exact nature of my improvements, will be readily d understood when the following description and claims are read with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Figure l is a view in side elevation, parts shown in section, of my improved tool applied to a pan, and illustrating in dotted lines the releasing position of the parts of the tool.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation. K Describing the illustrated embodiment of my invention, with reference to the drawing by numerals, the tool of my invention, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a pair of lower and upper relatively fixed and movable clamping jaws I and 2, respectively, of angular form, the movable jaw overlying the fixed jaw. The fixed jaw I extends at a downward and forward inclination from the front end of a handle 3. The handle 3 and fixed jaw I are formed preferably from a suitable length of strap metal bent back upon itself at one end and welded or otherwise secured to the under side of said length at a suitable point from the fixed jaw I to form a looped hand grip 4. The fixed jaw I is formed by bending the straight forward end of said length of metal downwardly at an obtuse angle. The movable jaw 2 comprises a shorter length of strap metal bent at an angle at its forward end in correspondence with that of the fixed jaw I to overlie the same. The movable jaw 2 is shorter than the fixed jaw I to facilitate application of the tool to a pan, as will be understood. Intermediate its ends the movable jaw 2 is provided with an upwardly bent tailpiece 5 terminating in a thumb piece 6. At its juncture with the tailpiece 5, the movable jaw 2 is pivotally connected to the handle 3 for vertical rocking movement thereon. Preferably the connection takes the form of a stove bolt 1 passing through a suitable aperture 8' in said movable jaw and through the handle 3 at the juncture of the looped end thereof with the upper part of said handle. A nut 9 secures the bolt I in proper position. interposed between the thumb piece 6 and the top of the hand grip 4 is a coiled compression spring I0 urging the movable 5 jaw 2 into clamping relation to the fixed jaw I. Depending from said thumb piece 6 and passing through the coils of said spring Ill is a guide and keeper rod I I curved concentrically to the axis of movement of the movable jaw 2 and passing through a suitable aperture I2 in the top of the hand grip 4. Said rod II is of the proper length to engage the lower part of the hand grip 4 and thereby limit releasing movement of the movable jaw 2.

As will be obvious, thumb pressure on the thumb piece 6 manipulates the movable jaw 2 into the limit of its releasing movement. In the limit of movement of said movable jaw 2, the edge of a pan I3 may be received between said jaws I and 2, the fixed jaw i positioned flat against the outside of the pan I3, and upon release of said thumb piece 6 the movable jaw clampingly engaged flat with the inside of said pan.

The construction, operation, and advantages of my improved tool will, it is believed, be clear from. the foregoing description thereof. It is to be understood, however, that the present disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and that right is herein reserved to changes in details described falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A tool comprising a handle having a downwardly looped hand grip at its rear end and an angularly related front end forming a downwardly extending jaw, an upper movable jaw on top of said handle comprising an angularly related front end forming a downwardly extending por- 40 tion overlying the front end of the first-mentioned jaw, said movable jaw being pivotally mounted on said handle for vertical rocking movement into and from clamping relation to the first-mentioned jaw and having an upwardly bent tailpiece terminating in a thumb piece, a coiled compression spring interposed between said thumb piece and the upper part of said hand grip, and a keeper and guide rod depending from said thumb piece and passing through the coils of said spring and through the top of said hand grip, said rod engaging at its lower end the lower part of said hand grip to limit movement of the second-mentioned jaw from clamping relation to, the first-mentioned jaw.

10 movement into and from clamping relation with the first-mentioned jaw and having an upwardly bent tail piece terminating in a thumb piece, a coiled compression spring interposed between said thumb piece and the upper part of said hand grip, and a keeper and guide rod depending from said thumb piece and passing through the coils of said spring and through the top of said hand grip to maintain said movable jaw in alinerment with the jaw first-mentioned.

- CHARLES 0. LE BARON. 

